A 74-year-old man was arrested last week for alleged illegal marijuana cultivation after deputies found more than 1,000 plants at his Wildomar home.
The Riverside County Sheriff's Office [investigation began](https://www.riversidesheriff.org/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/6922) in January, when deputies with the Lake Elsinore Sheriff's Station began receiving complaints from Wildomar residents regarding a potential grow operation at a home.
On February 5, after some investigation, deputies served a search warrant at a home in the 35000 block of Amatista Avenue, where they found that the "residence was transformed into a marijuana cultivation site."
"Approximately 1,050 marijuana plants in various stages of growth were located and eradicated," deputies said. "The electrical system within the residence had been illegally altered, causing a fire hazard."
Deputies said that Southern California Edison personnel were called to the scene and estimated a loss of more than $60,000 in stolen utilities. They disconnected service to the home, which was deemed uninhabitable by Wildomar Code Enforcement officers.
Guofo Chen, 74, was arrested during the operation and booked for illegal marijuana cultivation, possession of marijuana for sale and felony utility theft.
As their investigation into the incident continues, deputies asked anyone with more information to contact them at (951) 245-3300.
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